Tidbits 8 British Inventions & Discoveries That Changed The World (Part 1)
by AASHU

The United Kingdom produced many of the most influential scientists, mathematicians and inventors in modern history. From influential people, came influential ideas, theories and inventions, some of which changed the world we live in forever. Here is a list of 8 inventions that changed the world.

1 . English Language
English is the second most widely spoken language in the world behind Mandarin. However, it is the official language of more countries worldwide than any other, and the most common second language globally. English is generally used as the intermediary language of choice at global events and international summits. The language is also the most far reaching language in the world, with native speakers as far spread as Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom, where the language was born.

2. Telephone
The telephone was invented by British inventor Alexander Graham Bell and patented in 1876. Bell's early experiments with sound began when he was taken to see a "speaking" automaton designed by Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen and built by Sir Charles Wheatstone. Many years later, Bell became interested in technology to transmit sound. In 1875, Bell created an acoustic telegraph which he patented in March 1876 following a close race with American inventor Elisha Gray, who accused Graham Bell of stealing the invention from him. The patent office ultimately ruled in Bell's favour and he was granted the patent for the world's first telephone.

3. Steam Locomotive
The first steam locomotive was invented by Richard Trevithick, a British inventor and mining engineer. Trevithick's steam locomotive was built in 1804 in South Wales to carry cargo. In one of the earliest public demonstrations, the locomotive successfully carried an impressive load of 10 tons of iron, 5 wagons and 70 men 9.75 miles in 4 hours and 5 minutes. Trevithick continued to work with steam locomotives for many more years until his death in April 1833. A full-scale working replica of his first steam locomotive was built in 1981 for the Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum, later moving to the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea.

4. Television
The world's first publicly demonstrated television was invented by British inventor John Logie Baird in 1925. Logie Baird is also credited with the invention of the first fully electric colour television tube. The first public demonstration of Logie Baird's television was performed before members of the Royal Institution on 26th January 1926. He also later demonstrated the first colour television on 3rd July 1928. Logie Baird's television displayed a 30 line vertically scanned image at 5 frames per second, with later models improving the frame rate to 12.5 frames per second by the time of its first demonstration. Logie Baird's invention paved the way for what is now nearly a century of work on the development of television technology, which remains one of the most influential inventions in history, allowing people all over the world to communicate via moving images.